


Hell is an Understatement

by amcsummersgoddess



Category: Halex - Fandom
Genre: Alex Hates Everything, Alex is not, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Coming Out, Halex, Hank Is Popular, M/M, Poor Alex - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-05-08 00:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14682300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amcsummersgoddess/pseuds/amcsummersgoddess
Summary: Alex Summers really hates boarding school. He hates the fact that everyone is friends with everybody and the kids you wouldn’t think would be popular are popular.Or: Hank is a popular student and Alex is an outcast





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I write way too many halex fics BUT I HAD TO DO THIS THE IDEA CAME TO ME
> 
> anyway
> 
> Enjoy!!

“He doesn’t even talk,” a girl whispered and Alex rolled his eyes, not acknowledging the voice or the fact that he could clearly hear them. Alex does talk but he’s not going to _talk_ to anyone. What compelled his parents to send him to the preppiest school in all of New York, Alex doesn’t know and frankly he doesn’t want to know what was going through his parents’ heads when they decided on sending him to a fucking _boarding school_. All Alex does know is that this school is different and not in a particularly good way. 

Most schools would have a sports team, but not this one. The only “sport” related thing this school had was a _chess_ club and it seemed that everyone here was apart of it, expect Alex but that’s because he doesn’t talk to anyone to make friends. It’s not like Alex wanted to make friends anyway, he doesn’t know anyone at this school and he doesn’t want to get to know anyone either. It seemed that everyone was friends with everybody here too which he thought was quite weird. The only _actual_ thing this place had that was close to a normal school was the fact that they had their own “It group,” except for the fact that the people in the “It group” are smart and nice people and would be at the bottom of the social ladder in a regular high school. 

In other words, Alex hated it here. The only thing keeping him going was the fact that he had a whole lot of study periods which gave him time to write to his younger brother. Alex would write the god awful truth about his experience here, but he’s pretty sure his parents want to send Scott here when he gets old enough. Being the best older brother that he can be, Alex made it seem like school was the best place in the whole entire world. 

_Scott,_

_I think you’d love it here._

Alex stared down at the piece of paper and erased what he just wrote. He’ll figure out what to write eventually, maybe Scott would write to him first. “Hey,” Alex looked up to see a blonde girl with bright green eyes was staring at him. “You’re new here, right?” He looked back down at his letter and wished this girl would just go _away._ “I’m Raven.” He recognized her as being part of one of the popular groups, but he didn’t say that or anything for that matter. “You know you can ignore me and everyone for as long as you want, but you’re going to have to talk to people eventually.” Alex looked up to see she was beaming at him. 

“It’s worth a shot,” he mumbled and was taken back when Raven actually laughed. He would smile if he wanted to, but Alex doesn’t want to. 

“Well, do you have a name or can I just call you that quiet kid like everyone else does?” Alex frowned at her, wondering if people actually called him that. He would ask but he doesn’t really care what people say about him.

“Alex,” he gritted and looked back down at his letter, putting his pencil on the paper as he wrote down some sugar-coated bullshit to Scott.

_Scott,_

_The kids here are extremely nice, they make everyone here feel so welcomed. I can tell you will like it here and I wish that we were still going to school in the same place._

“What are you working on?” Raven asked and Alex was surprised to see she hadn’t left yet. He really wished she took the social cues to just leave him alone. 

“None of your business,” Alex shoved the paper into one of his textbooks before shoving that into his bag and standing from the table. He doesn’t say goodbye to Raven before walking out of the library and making his way down the long corridor of the school. That’s another thing Alex doesn’t fairly like about this school, it’s fucking _huge_. It took him almost an hour just to find his dorm room and he was practically late to class on the first day. He didn’t ask any students for directions since that would require talking to people, so he simply eavesdropped on other people’s conversations to see if they had similar classes. It helped him get through his first week and probably for the rest of his time here. 

Alex wished his parents sent him to military school, he’d probably enjoy it more than this place. The only thing he found himself liking was the spot that he deemed his. It was the farthest and largest willow tree on the court yard, secluded from everyone. Alex thought it was perfect since no one seemed to go that far out of campus to sit over there. As he trudged his way towards the tree, he found someone sitting in _his_ spot. Alex scowled st the boy who was nose deep in a book with his brown hair falling into his face before sitting down a few feet away from him. Thankfully the stump of the tree was large enough for Alex to not see the boy and make it seem like he was alone. 

He pulled out his letter and continued to write. 

_This place is beautiful. It reminds me of a castle with how big and spacious it is. The courtyard is breathtaking with all the trees and bushes that are there. I hope you like it here as much as I do._

“There you are!” Alex cringed as he recognized the voice as Raven and he was about to gather up his things and go but he realized that she wasn’t talking to him at all, she was talking to the other boy instead. “I’ve been looking all over for you, Hank! Why weren’t you in the library?” 

“I enjoy reading outside, it’s a really nice day out,” Hank replied and Alex was going to ignore the fact that he _liked_ the sound of that voice and hoped Raven won’t notice him. 

“Well-oh hey Alex!” Alex cursed to himself and turned to look at her with a glare. “Long time no see,” she teased and sat down on the grass next to him. “Alex, this is my friend Hank,” the boy appeared around the stump and Alex saw a flash of blue and he looked away quickly and started to pick at the grass because he would not think about how pretty his eyes are. “Hank, this is Alex.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hank said and Alex could see that he was now sitting down across from both him and Raven. Alex continued to pick at the grass, ignoring them both. 

“Alex doesn’t talk much,” Raven poked at his elbow and Alex shrugged away. “He’s grouchy.”

“Or maybe you’re just annoying,” Alex muttered under his breath and he heard Raven bust out a laugh and nudged him in a friendly way.

“He’s also _hilarious_ ,” he rolled his eyes and continued to pick at the grass. He didn’t dare look up to see what Hank’s reaction was but he could feel his eyes on him. “You should come to chess club, you’d have fun there,” Raven suggested and Alex resisted the urge to bark in her face and laugh. 

“Pass,” he said dryly and started to pack up his things. He would definitely have to find a new spot as well as find a way to hide from Raven. 

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” she said and Alex slung his bag over his shoulders and stood up, brushing off the grass on his pants and starts to walk back inside. “Well if you change your mind it’s on the third floor, last room at the end of the hall!” She called after him and Alex ignored it. “It starts at three!”

His dorm seemed to be the only safe space he had and he was thankful that he had the option to choose to live with a roommate or not. If Alex had a roommate, he thinks he’d actually hate this place more than he already does. What Alex would do to get out of this place and go home where he can attend a regular high school with regular students and take regular classes. He knew he wasn’t smart enough to be at this school in the first place and he told his parents that too, but they wouldn’t listen. They want him to “reach his full potential” since public schools weren’t quite “doing it” for him. He was envious of his brother in a way, Scott had a couple of years left before he attended this school. Alex was in his _last_ year of high school, he was perfectly fine going to college on a football scholarship, he had a lot of friends back at his previous school too, but no. He had to attend the fucking Hogwarts of New York because his parents though it was best for him. Alex thinks they were just trying to get rid of him. 

Alex flopped down on his twin bed and yanked at the tie that was required for all boys to wear. Did he mention the school had a uniform? For boys, it’s a dark blue blazer with matching slacks and tie with a white shirt. Girls had to wear the same thing minus the tie and the pants were replaced by a skirt. He missed his leather jacket and he wanted to take it with him but instead he gave it to Scott to wear for when he grows into it. 

His ceiling was gray and bland and Alex wanted to put something on it so he didn’t have to stare at the ugly thing all day, but he wasn’t allowed to shop or leave campus to get something. He groaned and looked over at his clock to see it was only a quarter to three. The thought of going to chess club crossed his mind but Alex doesn’t even know how to play chess and he’s pretty sure he doesn’t want to learn. The boy from earlier, Hank, flashed across his mind and Alex wouldn’t mind seeing him again. If Hank was at chess club, maybe he would be interested in attending but Alex might be labeled as a creep to go and just look at some kid he doesn’t even know. 

Then again, what does he have to lose? If Alex went, no one would really care because no one even knew Alex. He would just go this one time and see what’s it was like. Alex won’t enjoy it, he knew that much, but he will go just to see what the hype about chess club was. He got out of bed then, throwing the tie over his desk chair since he didn’t really need it anymore because the school day ended and he headed out the door. His dorm was on the fifth floor, the second to highest level, and he made his way towards the stairs. He quickly made his way down two flights and walked down the hall towards the room that Raven mentioned. He took a deep breath as his hand hovered over the brass doorknob. “I knew you’d show up!” He sighed as he turned to see Raven approaching, her arm looped through Hank’s. He ignored the flash of jealousy he felt as he gazed upon the sight and he shoved his hands in his pockets. 

Alex doesn’t say anything as he stepped away from the door and let Raven and Hank enter the room. He watched as Hank held the door for him, waiting for him to follow. “We don’t bite you know, it’s just chess,” he said with a hint of a smile and Alex looked down as he walked into the room with him. 

“Beast!” Everyone in the room cheered and it took Alex a moment to realize that they were talking about Hank. Alex stared at the boy with slight amusement and shock. Hank caught Alex’s eye and shrugged. 

“It’s a nickname,” he flashed Alex a smile with teeth and Alex was pretty sure his heart just jumped in his chest. “C’mon, I’ll set up a board for us.” He lead Alex to a table in the back of the room where a chessboard with pieces on the side of the table were set up. “Have you ever played chess before?” Alex shook his head, his eyes watching as Hank’s fingers set up each piece in an agile manner. “I’ll go easy on you.”

“That’s a first,” Raven mused from the other side of the room. “Hank doesn’t go easy on anyone, that’s why he’s a Grade A Beast. He will dominate you.” _Dominate_. Hank does not seem like the kind of guy to dominate anyone, but at this school, Hank was deemed _popular_. If they were back at Alex’s school, Hank would be considered an outcast which Alex was at this school. 

“Ignore Raven,” Hank said as he finished setting up the board. “I’ll let you take the first move,” he looked up at him and Alex could only stare back. “The pawn,” Alex stared down at the board and picked up a piece in the very front row and moved it a space up. Hank repeated the same move but with his own pawn. “So do you like it here so far?”

“No,” Alex grumbled as he moved the same pawn a space up. He looked up at Hank to see he was smiling at him, Alex scowled instead of smiling back like he wanted to. “What?”

“I didn’t like it here either when I first came,” he admitted as he moved his pawn again. “But then I made friends and I met Raven and things just started to get better,” he enthused and Alex found himself glaring at the board. He figured someone as beautiful as Raven would be dating someone as gorgeous as Hank and he _shouldn’t_ be jealous. Alex doesn’t even know these people, he had no right to be jealous, but he couldn’t help that he was. He suddenly got up from his chair and hurried out of the room, ignoring all the stairs he was getting from everyone and the protests from Hank. This is why Alex chose to not talk to anybody, especially good looking boys with brown hair and amazing eyes, someone he could never have.

Alex stomped back up the two flights of stairs and slammed the door to his dorm when he got there. He roughly grabbed at his bag and searched for the letter he wrote Scott and crumpled it up, tossing it in the trash can. He pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and sat as his desk, starting to write a new one.

_Scott,_

_Don’t show this to mom and dad, okay? I fucking hate it here. It’s been a whole week and I have no friends. I’ve only talked to two students and I don’t like either of them. I really hope mom and dad don’t send you here too because you will hate it too._

_The only good thing I found about this place is that the food is pretty good and you can choose to room by yourself. Other than that, it sucks. This place is huge, the kids are all friends which is weird, and the classes are ridiculously hard. I don’t know why they thought this would be a good place to put me in but I just can’t wait till Thanksgiving break when I can return home and see you._

_Alex_

He grabbed an envelope and shoved the letter inside of it, stamping and sealing it shut. Alex made his way downstairs to the first floor and dropped the envelope in the large mailbox. He made his way back upstairs to his room where he wished he could stay in forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!! Got caught up with school and got stuck but now it’s here! Enjoy!!

“We will start of this school year by reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s _The Scarlet Letter_. I want a four page, hand written essay about Hawthorne’s biography by tomorrow,” Alex’s English teacher, Professor Xavier, announced to the class before dismissing everyone. Alex packed up his stuff as he made his way out, hoping he can get to his spot before Hank does. “Alex,” Professor Xavier said, catching the boy before he could leave, “can I speak with you for a moment?” Alex nodded and they waited for the rest of the class to clear out. “Your transcript from your previous school was sent to me by your former English teacher. You had the work effort of a college student, why didn’t you take an AP class?” 

“I’m not AP material,” he muttered and Professor Xavier frowned, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“Did someone tell you that or have you just told yourself that?” Alex looked down at his assigned loafers, feeling a little embarrassed. “Right, well I want to give you an alternative assignment. I believe your reading and writing ability is much higher than you’ll give yourself credit for.” He removed his hand and walked over to his desk, pulling out a book and handing it to Alex. “I believe you’ll find this one much more entertaining. It’s a personal favorite of mine.” Alex studied the cover of _The Once and Future King_ before tucking it under his arm. “I expect you to have it done by next Friday.”

“Okay, thanks,” he gave Professor Xavier a small smile before leaving the classroom and heading outside to the courtyard. Alex would never admit it to anyone, especially his English professor, but he actually enjoyed literature. He didn’t mind doing an alternate assignment at all and he didn’t mind just simply reading a book either. When Alex got outside, he saw that his spot was free and he comfortably sat down on the grass and started reading. The book was about the story of King Arthur which only intrigued Alex more. He thought it was going to be some snooze fest to read, but he was enjoying it.

“Hey,” a voice softly said and Alex looked up to see Hank was now standing in front of him. He dropped his bag by Alex’s feet and took a seat next to him. “I’m sorry about the other day,” he mumbled, “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Alex ignored him and continued to read his book. Hank _didn’t_ upset Alex because Alex _wasn’t_ upset, he had nothing to be upset about. Yes, a small part of him was disappointed that Hank was taken but there wasn’t anything Alex could really do about it. It’s not like someone like Hank would ever go for Alex anyway. 

“Not upset,” he grumbled as he turned the next page in his book, trying to focus on his book. Alex expected Hank to leave then, but instead he pulled out his own book and started to read with him. Alex glanced at him before resuming to his own book, trying to ignore how good looking Hank is.

“Well, it seems like there’s something bothering you,” Hank went on, “do you want to talk about it?” Alex rolled his eyes and wished that Hank would just take the hint.

“No.”

“Okay, but if you need anyone to talk or anything, just let me know,” he added and Alex had to give Hank credit, he was a nice kid, but Alex didn’t want to make any friends while he was here. He ignored Hank’s comment and just continued to read his book. “Would you join chess club though?” Alex looked over at Hank with a weird expression.

“Why do you want me to join chess club so badly? Why does everyone join the fucking chess club at this school?” Alex didn’t mean to get defensive but he didn’t want to go back to a club and play against a “cool kid”.

“Well because chess is a fun game and it makes the brain think in ways that it doesn’t normally think,” Hank rambled and Alex really wasn’t looking for an answer. “Besides, you seem like you’d enjoy it if you gave it a chance.”

“Why don’t you play it with your _girlfriend?_ ” He snapped as he thought of the other day when he saw Hank and Raven walk arm in arm to chess together.

“Girlfriend?” Hank knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he laughed lightly at the idea of it.

“But Raven and you the other day-?”

“Just friends.”

Alex stared at Hank dumbfounded. Of course Hank and Raven were just friends and Alex was just overthinking them. Maybe, just maybe, Alex had a shot with Hank. “Oh,” he breathed out, feeling his annoyance wash away. 

“Is that why you were upset? You thought Raven and I were together?” Hank asked and a flustered Alex scrambled up his stuff together and stood up. 

“No!” He called behind him as he raced inside, not wanting Hank to see him blush. Okay so maybe Alex did have a small _crush_ on Hank, but is not like he’s going to tell anybody that. 

Instead, Alex headed upstairs to his dorm where he saw a letter was slid under the door. He immediately picked it up to realize its from Scott. Alex tore open the envelope and started reading.

_Alex,_

_I’m sorry you’re having a shit time there. I don’t think I want to go there but you know mom and dad, they won’t care._

_My first day of high school was alright, I wish you were there to show me the ropes. I’m about to tell you something but please promise me you won’t get mad: I’m being bullied, well not entirely, but there’s this kid, Logan, who’s your age and he’s a real dick. He just calls me names and I call him names back so does that really count as bullying? I don’t know, but don’t be concerned, I’ll be okay._

_Scott_

_P.S. Try to make some friends._

Alex read the letter once more before setting it on his desk; he’ll respond to Scott later. He glanced at his clock to see it was almost three and Alex debated with himself if he should go to chess club. He would go to see the craze about it and learning to play might actually come in handy to him some day. Also, he wouldn’t mind seeing Hank again…

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the door to the chess room. Alex took a deep breath and walked in. “Glad you could make it,” Hank said, making all eyes in the room land on Alex.

“Don’t get too excited,” he mumbled as he took a seat across from Hank, staring down at the board in between them. “Are you going to show me how to play or what?” 

As Hank started to explain how to play, Alex tuned out the whole time and just stared at him. He really was gorgeous, his were the most amazing blue Alex had ever seen. They were like an ocean, you could get lost in them instantly. His glasses only emphasize them too. Hank was also ridiculously smart and he spoke very scholarly. 

“Alex?” Hank snapped to get his attention, taking him out of his thoughts, “Are you listening?”

“No,” he replied with a small smile, “got distracted.”

“By?”

“You-‘re stain on your shirt,” he quickly blurted and stood up, “you should get that cleaned,” he muttered before breezing out of the room. What was wrong with him? Alex had never acted this way around anyone, something must be wrong with him.

“Alex!” He heard Hank call behind him but Alex ignored it, making his way back upstairs. “Alex,” he heard again and felt a hand around his wrist, making him turn around and face Hank. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he tried to escape his grip but Hank only tightened it slightly. “Hank, look, I’m fine-

“Then why do you try to run away every time I talk to you?” Hank countered and Alex tried his very hardest to not blush. 

“Because maybe I don’t like you,” he grumbled. It wasn’t true, far from, Hank’s the only person here Alex actually liked, but he didn’t like to be pressed. 

“You don’t?” Alex shook his head. “Why is that?”

“Because…” he tried to think of something but his mind came up blank, “reasons,” he settled on but Hank looked at him weirdly since he didn’t buy it.   
“Look, does it really matter? I just don’t like you, okay? I don’t like anybody here, don’t take it personally or anything.”

“Then why are you here?”

“My parents thought it would be good for me,” Hank gave a small nod in understanding and let Alex go before walking away. His wrist tingled from where Hank touched him and he watched as he made his way back to the chess room. He sighed to himself and made his way back upstairs to his dorm, pulling out a piece of paper to write to Scott.

_Scott,_

_Fuck Logan, he’s a dick. I’ve only seen him around the school, never talked to him, but he doesn’t talk to anybody. For god sakes he already has a full grown beard and he always smells like cigars. Just stay away from him._

_Do you know the real reason mom and dad sent me here? I had football scholarships lined up and everything but now it’s just all gone. I’ve tried fitting in here but it’s just not working._

_Alex_

_P.S. I think I have a crush._

He folded up the letter and put it in a new envelope that was already labeled and stamped. Alex made his way down to the mailbox and slipped the letter in. He was going to go back upstairs to his dorm, but he saw Professor Xavier was in his room still, reading over some papers. 

Alex approached the open door and knocked, grabbing his attention. “Alex, good to see you,” he smiled and gestured for him to come in, “do you like the book so far?”

“Yeah I do,” he gave a small smile himself and sat at a nearby desk, “it’s really interesting.” Professor Xavier nodded, his face growing with slight concern. 

“Everything alright?” Alex shrugged and stared past him at the board. “Would you like to talk about it?” Alex looked at him to see he was being genuine. He never had someone who actually cared enough to listen to his problems, besides Scott of course. 

“I don’t belong here. I don’t know why my parents sent me here but I don’t want to be here,” he admitted and Professor Xavier’s eyes softened. 

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I’m _different_ than other kids here. Everyone here is smart and plays chess and they’re going off to Harvard,” he ran a hand through his hair, “I was happy at my other school. I was captain of the football team, I had scholarships lined up, I had friends. But here, all of that just doesn’t matter.”

“Alex, you’re very qualified to be here. You’re one of my smartest students. Your academics should not define how smart you are either,” Professor Xavier said in a comforting tone. “You belong here, just like everyone else. You’re no different.”

“I’m gay.” Alex had never told anyone that, not even Scott. He never told anyone at his last school since he couldn’t handle the shame of kids not accepting him. His parents would probably kick him out of the house too. “You’re the only person that knows and just promise me you’ll keep it between us.” 

“I promise.” Alex stood up then and started to leave. “Alex,” he turned around at the sound of his name, “Everything is going to be alright, I promise you.” Alex gave a solemn nod before walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did Alex’s parents send him to that school? Will things work out with Hank?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!!! Got caught up with school and got stuck on this fic for awhile but now it’s back so enjoy!

_Alex,_

_I’ll do my best to try and ignore Logan, but the guy’s hard to ignore. I was walking in the hall the other day and Logan pushed me against a locker and told me to move out of the way even though the hallway was pretty empty. I told him to fuck off and he laughed. It was weird._

_I don’t know why mom and dad sent you there and when I asked they said that they thought you would enjoy it. They said I’ll be going there too. You can ask them when you come home which shouldn’t be long, right? Only one week?_

_For someone who hates everybody at the school, I find it funny that you have a crush. So are you going to tell your little brother about them or what?_

_Scott_

_P.S. Actually talk to them. Don’t just stare and be creepy._

Alex smiled down at the letter and set it aside. He pulled out some paper and grabbed a pen, about to write back, when he heard a knock on his door. He wondered who would visit him on a Saturday afternoon and he got up and answered the door to find out. “Can I help you?” Alex asked dryly to Raven.

“We need to talk,” she made her way into Alex’s room and sat on his bed. “Why were you mean to Hank the other day?”

“I wasn’t mean to him,” Alex grumbled and took a seat across from her in his desk chair. “I was honest. Why do you care?”

“Because Hank’s my friend,” she retorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m sure Hank doesn’t want you fighting his battles for him,” Alex chided and Raven laughed. 

“I’m not fighting his battles for him, I just came here to talk to you. Why were you mean to Hank?” She repeated.

“I told you-

“Yes, but I’m not buying it,” she leaned forward more on the bed, “what’s really going on?” Alex crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “Fine, then I’ll just assume that you’re either a dick or that you have a crush on Hank and have a horrible way of expressing it.” Alex went quiet and felt his cheeks heat up and sense of fear ran through him. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“You won’t because it’s not true,” he said quietly and stared down at his hands, picking at his cuticles. “Get out.” Raven opened her mouth to reply. “Get out!” Alex shouted and she scrambled to her feet and left the room. Alex ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes as he tried to calm down. Raven wouldn’t tell anybody, would she? He was rude to Hank the last time he talked to him anyway, he probably didn’t even want to hear about him.

Alex found himself relaxing a little and he decided to distract himself by responding to Scott’s letter.

_Scott,_

_Logan’s weird. I’m glad you’re deciding to ignore him though, for the most part. Never really talked to him, as I said before, but maybe he knows you’re my brother or something? I honestly don’t know but just stay away from him._

_I’ll be home this weekend, thankfully. I can’t wait to get out of here, maybe I’ll convince mom and dad to take me out, I guess we’ll see._

_I think it’s best if I tell you in person._

_Alex_

The letter was shorter than his previous ones, but Alex didn’t want to come out to Scott over a letter. It’d be best to do it in person. He decided he should tell his parents too while he’s at it, maybe they’ll think it’s from this school so Alex will be able to get out of it and back to his old school. He can only hope.

Alex sealed the letter and addressed it before making his way downstairs to the mailbox. He slipped it in and was about to make his way upstairs when he saw Professor Xavier still in his classroom. Alex knocked on his door and when Professor Xavier looked up, he entered. 

“How come you’re working when there’s no class?” Alex asked as he took a seat by his desk, seeing that he had a stack of papers in front of him.

“When you have nearly a hundred students, your best chance at getting ahead is working on the weekends,” he let out a small laugh. “Besides, I might as well get a good chunk of work done before the holiday weekend. Are you going home this break?” Alex nodded.

“Yeah and I’ve decided that I’m going to tell my family about..me,” he muttered and ran a hand through his hair. “I-I’m scared though. What if they reject me? Or kick me out of the house?”

“You’ll stay with me,” Professor Xavier said simply, “I have more than enough space at my home and you are always welcome to stay there if need be,” he smiled sincerely and Alex felt himself relax a little.

“Thanks,” he flashed him a small smile. “I’ll leave you to your work, thanks again Professor,” he stood up and made his way to the door. 

“Everything will be okay, Alex,” he said behind him and Alex really wanted to believe him. He opened his classroom door and waved goodbye before closing it. Just as he was making his way back upstairs, he ran into Hank. 

Hank stared at him with a blank expression, Alex just stared back. “I-sorry, didn’t see you there,” Hank muttered and attempted to make his way past Alex without trying to really touch him. 

“It’s alright,” Alex mumbled as he made his way past Hank on the stairs. His gut told him to turn around and say something, but Alex just kept walking. 

“Alex?” Alex halted and slowly turned back around to gave the brunet. “I-I still could teach you chess, if you want. I know you don’t want to be here but it could be of use to you?” Hank looked at Alex almost if he was begging for him too. He wondered why Hank wanted to teach him to play chess so badly and kept talking to him, even if he knew Alex didn’t particularly like him.

“Sure,” Alex agreed and he could nearly see a literal wave of relief wash over Hank as a smile started to spread across his face. “Don't get so happy, I could still beat you at this game, you know,” he teased as Hank caught up to him as they continued to make their way upstairs.

“Beginner’s luck doesn’t work with chess,” Hank joked back as he lead the way to the chess room, “but I’ll go easy on you so maybe you have a chance at winning.” Alex playfully rolled his eyes. He didn’t take Hank to be so full of himself. 

“My dad always said a cocky attitude could get a man in trouble.”

Hank scoffed. “I’m not cocky! I’m just stating a fact,” he grumbled.

“See, cocky,” Alex teased once more as him and Hank entered into the classroom, taking a seat at one of the tables with a board already set up and ready to be played. Maybe Alex would try to actually focus on the game instructions this time and not on how gorgeous Hank really was. But that was hard, very hard, because even Hank’s voice was distracting. It was deep and smooth and Alex practically swooned whenever his name came out of that gorgeous mouth of his. Did Alex ever mention how how kissable Hank’s lips were? They looked soft and smooth and were even more red against Hank’s fair skin and Alex wanted nothing more than to feel those lips against his own but he wasn't sure if he ever would. 

“Are you ready to play?” Hank’s question snapped Alex out of his thoughts and he realized he yet again didn’t listen to a single word Hank said. Alex nodded anyway and Hank made the first move, moving one of his pawns up a space. Alex mocked his move since he really didn’t know how to play. “So,” Hank began as he made another move, “what was your old school like?” 

“Uh,” he stared down at the board and moved another pawn, “it was a lot different than this. Cliquey. Bullies. If you weren’t popular from sports or cheerleading, you were an outcast. At this school the kids are nice at least,” he looked up to see Hank was looking right at him, not even paying attention to the board. “I was captain of the football team so I was popular I guess. I didn’t really care too much about other people at my school though, I just wish I was there right now so my brother wasn’t alone.” 

“You have a brother?” Alex nodded. “What’s he like?”

Alex smiled as he thought of Scott. “He’s smart, funny, can get a little over his head sometimes, but he’s a good kid.” Hank nodded in understanding, finally making his move on the board. Alex watched as he picked up a bishop or a rook, he couldn’t tell the difference, and moved it up a space. “Do you have any siblings?” Maybe if things didn’t work out with Hank as Alex hoped they would, he might have an older brother who looked exactly like him…

“No, I’m an only child,” he replied and locked eyes with Alex once more. “You know, I would’ve been an outcast at your school. You and me probably wouldn’t talk.” _Oh, yes we would._ Alex wanted to tell him since if Hank went to Alex’s old school, Alex would probably find it easier to talk to him and he certainly wouldn’t be able to stop looking at him either. He still can’t now. “Right?”

“Would you have wanted to talk to me?” 

Hank slowly started to smile. “Yeah.” 

Alex studied Hank’s expression than. Hank couldn’t have reciprocated his feelings, could he? “You would’ve probably thought I was a football douche.”

“You are a football douche,” Hank smiled fully now and Alex laughed, he probably was in most people’s eyes. “Seriously, Alex,” he leaned forward a little more, “I would’ve wanted to be your friend.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow. “Are you saying we’re friends now?”

“You’re the one who decides that.” Alex felt his cheeks rise slowly with blush. Oh god, why was he blushing? Was Hank implying something more or was Alex just overthinking his offer on becoming friends? He certainly didn’t want to just be Hank’s friend, he wanted more, so much more. 

“I-I don’t do well with friends,” he mumbled and moved yet another pawn on the chessboard. “Even at my old school, they weren’t my true friends.”

“I can be your true friend, if you want,” Hank offered and Alex looked up at him and shook his head. Hank didn’t look offended or say anything, he just stared. Alex should tell him what he meant by that. He should tell him how he really felt about him. What did he have to lose? Alex didn’t talk to anyone here anyway, if he told Hank, what difference would it make?

“Hank, I-I like you.” Boy that was hard to say. Alex searched Hank’s face for some sort of reaction, but all he did was stare. “I know I said I don’t like many people here but I like you. I think you’re nice and you’re very stubborn and-

“I’m not stubborn,” Hank corrected and started to smile. “Is that why you always ran away when I tried to talk to you?” Alex nodded, feeling a little stupid that he did that but he got nervous and freaked. What else was he supposed to do? “You’re not going to run this time, are you?” 

“Depends.”

“On?”

Alex sucked in a breath. “Do you like me back?”

Hank shrugged and stood up, Alex stood up too as he tried to figure out what was going to happen next. “Well, unlike you I like people,” he smiled a bit sheepishly and took Alex’s hands in his. Alex definitely had to be dreaming, there was no way Hank McCoy was holding his hands- his hands were so soft. “And you happen to be one of them,” he looked over Alex’s face for confirmation before kissing Alex softly on the lips. 

Holy shit. Alex was definitely not dreaming. Hank just kissed him, Alex kissed him back. They were _kissing_. Alex did not miss his old school so much anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww Hank kissed Alex <3 
> 
> Alex goes home to his family pretty soon, hopefully everything goes well!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alex goes back home and sees his family!!

The sound of an alarm blaring loudly stirred Alex out of his sleep with a groan. It was five in the morning. He had a three hour car ride ahead of him to get back home and he really wasn’t looking forward to it. 

Alex threw back his covers and a ran a hand through his hair to tame whatever mess he made from sleeping. He had an assigned car with a driver with what basically was a personal chauffeur, how could anyone not like that? Alex was wearing sweats and since he was leaving school, he didn’t need to change in that horrid uniform and could go home wearing his pajamas. Thankfully he packed last night so the only thing he had to do was brush his teeth and head downstairs. He hoped that he would run into Hank, exchange one, or a few, kisses before heading off for the long weekend. 

After their makeout session, yes makeout, Alex and Hank actually played and finished a game of chess. Alex lost because he really didn’t know what he was doing since he yet again didn’t listen to Hank, not his fault he’s so distracting. Hank didn’t brag about it, instead, he congratulated Alex on a good game and kissed him some more. He couldn’t complain though.

The knock on his door took Alex out of his thoughts and he walked out of the bathroom to go answer it. He started to smile as he saw it was Hank and Alex forgot he had his toothbrush still in his mouth and saliva started to drip. “Hold on,” he quickly muttered before racing to the bathroom and spitting, leaving his toothbrush behind this time. “Hey,” he said more coolly to Hank when he returned. 

“Hey,” Hank took a step forward and Alex looked up at him. God he loved their height difference. “I just wanted to say goodbye before we left,” he wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Alex was definitely dreaming, there was no way his reality was this good. Alex wrapped his arms around Hank’s neck and pulled him closer to return his kiss. 

The sound of the school bell rang out, they use them for in between class periods and before meal times, breaking them apart. “I guess it’s time to go,” Alex sighed sadly and Hank stole a quick kiss before pulling away completely. “Have a good break, Hank,” he smiled and Hank gave his hand a squeeze.

“You too, Alex,” he gave a final wave goodbye before leaving Alex’s dorm. Alex grabbed his bag and headed downstairs seeing the hallway was crowded with everyone trying to get out the doors. He started to feel anxious as he excused his way past everyone and searched for the car that belonged to him. All of the cars were lined up along the long driveway of the school and a few traveled into the street. They were all black and each of them had a driver out front with a name plastered on a piece of paper. How fancy. To Alex’s luck though, the names were in alphabetical order so he began his long walk down the driveway before stopping in front of a car that had a driver with his name written on the paper he was holding. “Hi,” he said a little awkwardly and the driver took his suitcase from him and placed it in the trunk before getting his door. “Thanks,” he quietly muttered before sliding in the backseat. 

The car was nice and smelled fairly new. There was a TV screen in the back as well as a couple of drinks and snacks. Alex looked out the window when the car started to drive away. It was satisfying to watch the school get smaller and smaller as he left but he was still very nervous to go home. He debated if he should tell his parents as soon as he got home or maybe wait till the next day or the day after that. Alex could postpone coming out till Christmas, couldn’t he? What harm would it do if he did? He knew he’d have to tell Scott about Hank. Scott would be the first to know he was gay before his parents. It seemed right after all since he was the closest person Alex had to a best friend. Besides Hank of course but him and Hank aren’t _exactly_ friends. They’re friends with benefits? A couple? Maybe they’ll figure that out when they get back. 

Alex wondered if Hank was out yet. He assumed Raven knew since she didn’t seem that surprised when she confronted Alex about his feelings. He definitely owed her an apology that at this point is long overdue. He’ll do it after break. 

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the window. Hopefully he could get a couple more hours of sleep on this ride so he wasn’t too cranky when he got home. Alex tried to relax and not worry so much but it was very hard. He hoped his parents won’t be mad at him or disappointed that he’s gay. He really hoped that they won’t kick him out of the house either but Professor Xavier did offer his home to Alex if need be. 

“We’re here,” the driver announced and Alex’s eyes snapped open. The drive was shorter than he remembered or he must’ve fallen asleep and didn’t realize it. He looked out the window to see he was back home. He got out of the car and thanked the driver once again when he handed him his stuff. Alex looked at the two story home in which he grew up in and began his walk up the snowy lawn to the front porch. He heard the car that brought him here drive away and he took a deep breath as his hand hovered over the doorknob. 

Here goes nothing.

Alex opened the door and he wasn’t the least bit surprised to find everyone still asleep. It was eight in the morning on a Saturday, he couldn’t blame them. He quietly went upstairs and to his old bedroom, where he saw someone laying in his bed. Alex smiled as he approached the figure, shaking his shoulder. “Did you seriously take my room when I left? Really Scott?”

“Shut up, Alex,” Scott grumbled sleepily into his pillow as he rolled over and to face Alex, his eyes slowly blinking open. “Alex!” Scott suddenly was wide awake and jumped out of bed, pulling Alex into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you!” He squeezed Alex tighter and Alex chuckled as he staggered backwards a little. “I want to know _everything_ about your school! Are the teachers nice? Are the students nice? I know you said you don’t talk to anyone but maybe from what you’ve seen?” He rambled and Alex found himself laughing even more. 

“Yeah, the teachers are nice. My English Professor is pretty cool, and the students,” Alex started to smile as he thought of Hank. It’s only been a few hours and he already found himself missing him. “The students,” he continued, “aren’t that bad. I’ve only spoken to a couple though,” he flopped down on his bed and leaned his head against the wall. 

Scott looked at him a little weirdly and sat down next to him. “You’re smiling..why are you smiling?” Scott’s eyes went wide as he started to remember the letters Alex wrote to him. “You have a crush!”

Alex hushed him. “Don’t wake up mom and dad!”

“Well, tell me! What’s her name? Is she tall? Pretty?” 

“Tall,” he replied a little nervously. “Look, Scott-

“Logan kissed me,” Scott interjected and Alex looked at him with shock. “He rammed into me in the hallway and I started to fight back but he caught my wrists and kissed me then he left. I didn’t go after him because I was just too...shocked. It’s all I’ve been thinking about for awhile now,” he confessed. Alex let out a breath. He was relieved, in a way. Scott wasn’t necessarily gay but he was kissed by another guy so maybe he wouldn’t be as weirded out when Alex will tell him about Hank. 

“Did you, uh-enjoy it?” He asked his brother who let out a sigh and shrugged. 

“I’m just confused.” Alex nodded in understanding, he knew what it was like. “I guess I liked it? Like it’s just...weird. Because, believe it or not, that was my first kiss and I wasn’t expecting it to happen like that, but it did and it wasn’t bad, at all, just weird.” Scott ran a hand through his hair and looked over at Alex, a small smile on his lips. “Anyway, enough about me, tell me more about _your_ crush.”

Alex swallowed down a lump in his throat that wasn’t there before. He could do this, just three simple words. “Scott, I-I’m gay.” Alex stared at him, waiting for his reaction. He searched his face for some sort of emotion, but his face only showed blankness. 

“And?” Scott gave him a weird look. “Are you going to tell me about the person you like or not?”

“Wait,” Alex sat up straighter, looking at Scott weirdly now too, “you don’t care? Not grossed out? Disgusted? Shamed?” Scott shook his head, looking at Alex like he lost his mind.

“No? Why would I be?” Scott slowly started to smile. “Alex, you’re my brother. I don’t care who you date or don’t date. I’ll still love you no matter what.” Alex threw him into a tight hug, tighter than the one Scott gave him before. “I..need..air.”

“Sorry,” Alex loosened his grip but didn’t pull away. Scott _accepted_ him. Maybe things would turn out okay with his parents. Maybe. 

Scott eventually pulled out of the hug and got out of bed. “I’ll go back to my room and sleep more, I suggest you do the same,” he gave Alex a quick hug before leaving him be. Alex laid back down and stared up at his ceiling. It’s been nearly four months since Alex had been home and he had to admit, it felt good to be back. 

He closed his eyes and started to relax, starting to feel sleepy again. He’ll come out to his parents after dinner, he decided. That way, he would at least remember the last good meal he had with his family before they heard the news about him being gay. Alex really, truly hoped they accepted him, but he wasn’t a hundred percent sure they would either. He didn’t know, but he will find out. 

Sleep came by in a second and the next thing Alex knew was he was being shaken awake by Scott who told him dinner was ready. Alex didn’t remember sleeping that long ever in his life, but soon enough, he was changing out of his sweats into a polo and jeans. He went downstairs to see the table was covered with food and everyone was sitting around, waiting for him.

“Hey,” he greeted his parents with a smile which they returned and he sat down at the table across from Scott. They started to eat then and it was quiet for a couple minutes, just the sound of them chewing filled the room. Alex felt his nerves rising. He would wait till _after_ dinner to tell them. He wouldn’t say anything just yet. He didn’t want to ruin dinner. 

“How’s school going?” His mom asked him and Alex looked up at her and gave her an honest answer. 

“I’m gay.” 

The sound of the silverware being set down was now engraved into Alex’s memory. This couldn’t be good. 

“Scott,” his dad began, “please go into the den for a minute. You may bring your plate with you.” Scott didn’t say anything and complied, carrying his plate over into the other room. His dad turned towards him, a serious expression washing over his face. “You’re gay?” Alex nodded and swallowed down a lump in his throat. “How long have you known?”

“Since,” he thought for a moment, trying to remember when he truly _knew_ he was gay, “middle school.” His dad gave a slow nod of understanding and excused himself from the table, Alex felt his heart sink to his stomach. He turned to look at his mom who didn’t look at him, she just stared down at her plate and continued to eat. 

“May I be excused?” His mom gave a nod and Alex left the dinner table, his heart heavy in his chest, and tears clouding his vision as he made his way upstairs to his room and locking the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Alex :(
> 
> How will Alex react when he gets back to school? Will he tell Hank about what happened?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait!! Got super busy with work but it’s here now!!

Alex stared down blankly at his notebook. He knew he should get a head start on his essay since Professor Xavier allowed them class time to work on it, but he didn’t know what to write. The assignment was to write a personal memoir on your experiences over the weekend and Alex sure had a lot to write, but he didn’t know where to start. 

“Alex?” He glanced up at his name to see Professor Xavier was giving him a kind smile but his eyes were filled with concern. “Is everything alright?” Alex nodded and looked back down at his paper, starting to write. 

_Silence is deadly. It’s an unspoken tension that no one dares breaking because they’re afraid of what might happen if they did. No one likes to be in silence; it makes them feel uneasy, fearful._

_This weekend, I had a firsthand experience with the dreaded silence. I came out to my pare_

Alex quickly erased the start of that sentence and set his pencil down, running a hand through his hair as he sighed up at the clock. He had twenty more minutes left of class and he couldn’t wait for those minutes to flyby so he could go back upstairs to his room. It’s only been a day since he’s been back at school and he still feels the dread and confusion he got from the holiday weekend. 

He came out to his parents and they didn’t say _anything._ Maybe they were trying to comprehend what happened. Maybe they were biting back calling Alex one of the common vulgar names for being homosexual. He didn’t know, but the thought of it filled his stomach with knots. 

_I told my parents about my true self this weekend. I was expecting them to give me an answer, express their opinion, but they did neither. Instead, they offered me silence and silence was all that I received. Maybe they need more time to think things over. Maybe they don’t accept me for who I am. A part of me doesn’t want to find out and forget the whole ordeal ever happened._

Alex reread what he wrote and glanced up at the clock, seeing only five minutes had gone by since the last time he checked. Groaning quietly to himself, he started to write a little more and wrote very slowly to kill time.

_I live with the reality of my parents’ silence for more than a couple of days now. I feel as though the silence is eating me up inside and I’m afraid that I will not get an answer, not anytime soon at least._

The sound of the bell dismissing everyone from final period was like music to Alex’s ears. He quickly gathered up his stuff and practically ran out of the classroom. He would talk to Professor Xavier later, but Alex wasn’t quite ready yet to discuss what happened or what _didn’t_ happen over the weekend, he still needed to digest it himself.

“Alex!” Alex halted in the hallway, receiving some weird looks from other students, and he turned to see Hank was smiling at him and catching up to him. Alex wanted to return his smile and show as much enthusiasm Hank had to see him, but he just couldn’t. He turned back around and continued walking towards the stairs, getting up about halfway till he felt a warm hand touch his wrist and lightly brush his fingers. Alex turned around to see Hank was now standing behind him, both of them receiving nasty looks from students who were trying to get around them. “I didn’t see you yesterday, is everything alright?” Alex looked up at those gorgeous eyes of his and he wanted to tell him how he was feeling, tell him about what happened this weekend. 

But he didn’t want the pity and the concern.

Alex drew his hand back and pursed his lips. “I have to go,” he muttered and turned back around, running up the stairs and going back into his room. Being in his dorm brought him a sense of solace and comfort, an escape. He flopped down on his bed and stared up at his ceiling, letting out a breath. Alex didn’t feel like doing his homework or starting up a letter to Scott. He didn’t feel like doing anything, until there was a knock on his door. “Who is it?” Alex called out dryly as he didn’t feel like getting out of bed and talking to anyone.

“It’s me,” he heard Hank call back. “May I come in?” Alex ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t really want to see Hank right now, but he didn’t want to turn him away either. He heard the door open and a shuffling of feet. “Your door is unlocked too so is that a yes?” Alex couldn’t help but smile as he turned his head to see Hank was now in his room. 

“You have no concept of privacy, McCoy,” he teased and sat up in bed. Hank closed the door behind him and joined Alex, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Alex let out a content sigh and rested his head on his shoulder, feeling a brush of lips against his hair. “Life sucks.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Alex took a deep breath and thought for a moment. He could tell Hank about what happened and he knew Hank wouldn’t judge him or anything of that matter, but Alex mainly wanted to forget it all ever happened. 

“No,” he said finally and removed his head from Hank’s shoulder, looking up at him softly. “Enough about me, how was your break?” Alex playfully poked at him, receiving a slip of a smile from Hank in return. 

“It was pretty good,” he gave Alex a nudge back. “I spent most of the time helping my mom cook which I didn’t mind doing at all. I love cooking with her, it’s very fun and relaxing for us both, especially when we do it together.” Alex found himself smiling at the image of Hank cooking away. “Then my grandparents came over and we all had a meal together and that was pretty much it.”

“So you didn’t miss me at all?” Alex teased and Hank playfully rolled his eyes.

“And you say I’m the cocky one?” He joked back and slid a hand onto his cheek, leaning in closer. “But yes, if you must know, I missed you,” Hank pressed a soft kiss to his lips, “a lot. Did you miss me?”

Alex bit down on his lip and started to smirk. “Maybe,” Hank cocked an eyebrow and Alex couldn’t help but laugh and smiled against another kiss Hank pressed to his lips, this one deeper than the last.

He wanted to have the _talk_ with Hank on what their relationship was, just to get a good clarification on where they stood. Alex would like to assume that they were a couple, or at least a budding romance since they were romantic with each other. He will figure that stuff out later because right now, his hands were tangled in Hank’s hair and they were lying down in his bed, kissing each other like they were each other’s source for air. 

Alex had never really done anything in high school, it’s not like he had anyone to do it with anyway, so he was inexperienced to say the least. He didn’t know how far him and Hank would go and having Hank kissing and biting on his neck right now currently wasn’t helping the problem Alex was starting to feel in his pants. He didn’t want Hank to freak or anything so he moved a hand onto his shoulder and guided his mouth back to his lips, kissing him chastely before pulling away. 

“You’re really good,” he said a little awkwardly and Alex wanted to curse at himself. What was it about Hank that just makes him forget how to speak? “Person, I mean,” he added instead of commenting on his kissing abilities. Alex probably sounded like a complete airhead right now to Hank, who only smiled in response. Alex kissed him again since he didn’t really know what else to say and he didn’t want to sound completely weird to Hank either.

Hank kissed him a couple more times before he pulled away and ran a hand through Alex’s hair. “Did you have a good break?” Alex chewed on his lip for as he nodded. “What did you do?”

“Hung out with my brother.” _Came out to my parents, they didn’t say anything, been secretly freaking out over their lack of answer_. Alex thought and Hank was looking at him with concern now.

“What’s wrong?” He ran a hand soothingly through Alex’s hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Alex was about to open his mouth and say his usual “Nothing” but the way Hank was looking at him, he decided that would not be the best answer. 

Alex looked away from Hank’s bright eyes and shook his head, feeling his eyes starting to sting with tears. “I think you should go, I have an essay I still need to write. It’s due tomorrow.” 

“Okay,” Hank replied and removed himself from Alex’s bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” Alex shifted his eyes to his ceiling and nodded. He heard Hank let out sigh and walk out of his dorm, quietly closing the door behind him. Alex sighed himself and made his way out of bed and grabbed his notebook. He read over what he wrote before in class and ripped it out of his notebook and crumbled it, tossing it in his trash. He didn’t feel like starting and fluffing up a new one either. 

Alex felt a lump starting to form in his throat and his chest was starting to feel heavy. He took a deep breath as his vision started to cloud with tears. He didn’t want to cry, he shouldn’t cry over something like this. Alex wasn’t always on the best terms with his parents, why would now make a difference? 

Maybe he should call them, but that would require a phone. For some reason, the school didn’t allow any phones, something about technology interfering with academic success. Alex thought it was a stupid rule, as well as many others, and the only phone available was in the office which was used for emergencies only. He knew only one person that could possibly have a phone.

He wiped the unfallen tears from his eyes and left his dorm, heading downstairs to the only person he knew that could have a cell phone: Professor Xavier. Alex knew he’d still be in his classroom and he really hoped that he would let Alex use his phone. 

“Do you have a phone I could borrow?” Alex captured Professor Xavier’s attention immediately when he walked into his classroom. 

“Alex, I-

“Please,” he begged and took a step closer to his desk, feeling his eyes starting to water again. “If I go to the office, they won’t deem it as an emergency but I just really need to talk to my parents.” Professor Xavier nodded and quietly got his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Alex.  
Professor Xavier stepped outside of the classroom to give Alex some privacy and he would get in trouble for being caught with a phone, especially one that wasn’t his. He dialed his home number and pressed the phone up to his ear, hoping pen of his parents would pick up.

“Hello?”

Alex closed his eyes and felt a tear slide down his face. “Hey Dad.”

“Alex,” he stated his name as if it was foreign, “is everything alright?” He felt more tears fall down his face and he swallowed down a sob that was rising. “Alex? Are you alright?” Alex took a shaky breath and sniffled, wiping at his eyes. 

“H-how do you feel,” he started, “about me?”

His father sighed on the other end and Alex felt his heart sink to his stomach. “I’m sorry that we didn’t say anything before, your mother and I were just both in shock. But you being gay doesn’t change anything,” Alex felt the weight in his chest lessen, “your mother and I love you, exactly the way you are.”

“I love you guys too,” Alex wiped at his eyes and started to smile in relief. “I should get back,” he glanced over his shoulder to see Professor Xavier was still outside. “Tell Mom and Scott I said hi.”

“I will,” his father agreed and they said their goodbyes before he hung up. Alex opened the door to the classroom and handed Professor Xavier back his phone. 

“Thank you,” Alex gave him a quick hug before dashing off to his dorm. He still had an essay to write after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, boarding school wasn’t so bad now, was it? 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Oh Alex...
> 
> Are Hank and Raven dating? Is Alex just overthinking everything?? What will Scott write back?


End file.
